Putting comfort in the driving seat
VERY few of us ever would buy a new armchair or sofa without trekking around half a dozen furniture shops and actually trying them out before we made the final decision – but how many of us actually put car seats to the test in any meaningful way?
Given the length of time we will actually spend sitting in them, it seems a remarkable omission, but we’re often so seduced by exterior looks (and, nowadays, by just how well-connected we can be on the move), that comfortable seats are the least of our considerations.
Common complaints among long-distance drivers in particular include neck pain, fatigue, leg discomfort, aching shoulders, concentration deficit and headaches – but the prime complaint is of back pain in general, and lower back pain in particular.
Personally, I love a car with good lower lumbar support, and there are other ways to help yourself get more comfortable, such as adjusting the height and pitch of your seat, and the extension and rake of the steering wheel. Nothing beats a truly well-designed seat though, and Opel has invested a lot of time and effort into getting it right. It was one of the first automotive brands to secure the Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V. (AGR) quality seal of approval – a certification system for backfriendly products.
At a recent symposium, Opel AGR seating specialist Jonas Eisenbraun said: ‘More and more people in Ireland and indeed across Europe are spending increasing amounts of time in their car, and for many drivers, their car seat is also their workplace. Opel’s 18-way adjustable ergonomic wellness seats with adaptable lumbar support, variable seat cushion tilt and extension settings, as well as effortless recline functions and higher quality materials for density and durability, have all been specifically designed and more importantly AGR certified, to adapt to the natural curvature of the spine. ‘These pioneering innovations, which also include functions like massage and even adjustable side bolsters, provide... travel solutions for drivers of all shapes and sizes who already suffer with back pain, or... who are just hoping to prevent these problems.’